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Get Involved

Families

Families Lead
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Families are the number one fans of our Special Olympics athletes. They offer a unique type of support, love and encouragement that no one else can. Special Olympics is a support network that brings families together in a caring, positive way—and that makes the cheers for our athletes even louder!

Among Friends

At Special Olympics competitions and events, family members are among friends—and feel at home. They watch with pride as their athlete finds success and joy.

A mother in Great Britain says families are part of the team—working together to make it all happen. "Everyone in the programme accepts each other without question. Everyone works as a team supporting each other." She says her son has made great strides since joining Special Olympics. "I know this has meant a great deal to him and, as a mum, to watch Jamie achieve and believe in himself is just wonderful."

Building Communities

Families are an essential link to the community and wider support for our movement. To learn more about different volunteer and leadership opportunities available to Special Olympics families, please reach out to your local Special Olympics program.

For every family member who gets involved, Special Olympics has a reason to celebrate!

Global Family Leadership Council

Amal Khafaoui

Special Olympics Middle East/North Africa - Sibling

Gang PENG

Special Olympics East Asia - Parent

Wendy Trotter

Special Olympics North America - Parent

Pelotlhomogi Rantseo

Special Olympics Africa - Parent

Vaiva Abramaviciute de Silva

Special Olympics Europe Eurasia - Caregiver

Claudia Peña Testa

Special Olympics Latin America - Parent

Nauman Mehboob

Special Olympics Asia Pacific - Parent
Recent Articles about Families

Saif and Ali Sumaida: A Father Supporting his Son on and Off the Field of Play

“I am Saif Bin Sumaida, a retired senior engineer from ADNOC Gas. God blessed me with four sons and two daughters. We discovered that one of our sons, Ali, had autism at four years old and he struggled a lot with his speech growing up. We enrolled him in speech therapy sessions at the New England Center to help him work on this.
3 Min Read

Lloyd Martin runs into the Guinness World Record Books

Special Olympics Great Britain athlete Lloyd Martin ran his way into the Guinness World Record Books on 21 April 2024 by completing the TCS London Marathon.
1 Min Read

Global Coalition for Inclusion Signed in Ghana and Seychelles

Special Olympics Ghana hosted the first signing in the Special Olympics (SO) Africa Region of the Global Coalition for Inclusion with the Republic of Ghana on 27 November 2023.
2 Min Read